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Today's Must Read
"McCain camp goes on offense in S.C." headlines the Los Angeles Times. "McCain Takes the Fight To Negative Opponents" echoes the Washington Post.
The campaign is doing its best to show that it won't let 2000 happen again, when still unknown dirty tricksters called South Carolina voters to ask them whether they knew that McCain had illegitimately fathered a black baby. But so far, the campaign's response to the attacks has been far more notable than the attacks themselves.
As we've been amply documenting here, McCain has indeed been the target of push polls this time around, but so have his opponents Mitt Romney, Rudy Giuliani, and Fred Thompson -- with the notable exception of Mike Huckabee. The calls, numbering around seven million so far in various primary states, are the work of the Huck-supporting group Common Sense Issues, and the attacks are pretty standard GOP negative fare so far.
And then there's Vietnam Veterans against John McCain. Recently, the group sent a mailer to approximately 80 newspaper editors in South Carolina accusing McCain of selling out his fellow POWs in Vietnam. On Tuesday, the McCain campaign (which is working hard to appeal to vet voters) made one of McCain's former fellow POWs available to the media to respond to the smear. The story, picked up by the AP and Wall Street Journal among others, got national play -- undoubtedly more play than the group would have been able to get on its own.
I spoke to the founder of Vietnam Veterans against John McCain, Jerry Kiley, yesterday. He told me that the group hasn't "actively sought donations at this point," and that the next step for the group will be mailings "going out to our network," with the intention that the mailing would then be forwarded on to local media there. The group just doesn't have the funds to send mailings directly to voters -- nor, as they declared they would in their statement of purpose, to run radio and TV ads. Things "could change," he told me, "if we received a sizable donation," but he wasn't holding out much hope.
Instead, they're planning "an email campaign." Groups of like-minded vets throughout the country will get the email chain started, he said, "so it will spread very quickly throughout the country."
So they're not exactly the second coming of the well-funded Swift Boat Vets (one of whom said he was "appalled" by their attack on McCain). They don't have $22 million to spend. But they are certainly admirers -- even making an homage in their South Carolina mailing. As we pointed out yesterday, the mailing had a label with the Swift Boat Vets' icon on it. But we couldn't figure out if it said Swift Boat Vets for Truth or Swift Boot Vets for Truth:
The winner, Kiley, told me, is Swift Boot Vets. "We actually named ourselves the Swift Boot Vets because we want to boot McCain out of the primary."
Update: Here's video of McCain responding to the mailers on Fox News:
Comments (24)
edshea wrote on January 17, 2008 10:14 AM:the press once again pays homage to st. john the centrist...
brian wrote on January 17, 2008 10:22 AM:The press continues its love-thing with the senator ...
McCain over-reacted, giving an example of how he manages crises. Rather stiff-necked, is he not ?
Result : this sort of attack, and over-reaction, will be encouraged. More spurious allegations are certain to come.
brian wrote on January 17, 2008 10:23 AM:The press continues its love-thing with the senator ...
McCain over-reacted, giving an example of how he manages crises. Rather stiff-necked, is he not ?
Result : this sort of attack, and over-reaction, will be encouraged. More spurious allegations are certain to come.
gcs wrote on January 17, 2008 10:28 AM:I've said many times we need to reintroduce the concept of shame in this country.
We know these moronic newspaper editors won't get their lazy asses fired over this. But if just one of them could muster up the balls to be ashamed of himself, we'd all be a lot better off.
thedcsir wrote on January 17, 2008 10:34 AM:Why shouldn't he over-react? Not acting, especially in the age of blogging, could leave these accusations to spread unchecked. If this group sent this info to the press first, what would stop them from sending it elsewhere? He was derided for being weak in 2000 and now that he reacts, he is derided again.
Dora O'Shaughnessy wrote on January 17, 2008 10:40 AM:I think the headline is way over the top. I expected to find evidence that McCain was somehow behind the fliers. This is beneath the standards of the site and resembles the National Enquirer's tactics.
Dan wrote on January 17, 2008 10:42 AM:I would like to see the public rise up against these kinds of tactics, whomever they support. If this happens, they will no longer work and our politics will be much healthier. I do not support McCain, but I think these kinds of attacks are despicable. Too bad the media didn't hammer Bush for doing this in 2000. Maybe then the Swiftboat crowd would not have gone after Kerry. If McCain uses these attacks to help him win South Carolina, it will make these Swiftboat types think twice about using them against other candidates, including Democrats. (Unless they figure that the media would overlook attacks like this on Dems, which would be a good bet.)
I actually think politicians should sue groups that pull these stunts. Even though it is harder for public figures to win libel suits, it can be done. Carol Burnett proved this years ago. You just have to have strong evidence. And even if you lose, if it costs the plaintiffs enough money it would be a discouragement. Also spotlighting these tactics would be wake the public up to this type of dishonest smear.
> On Tuesday, the McCain campaign (which is working hard to appeal to vet voters) made one of McCain's former POWs available to the media to respond to the smear.
Editor!
captcrisis wrote on January 17, 2008 10:44 AM:This guy Kiley is the same creep who interrupted a Manhattanville College basketball game with a flag in his hand and gave an in-your-face lecture to the female basketball player who had turned her back on the flag during the national anthem (this was a brave girl, back during the Iraq war runup in February 2003, and of course nobody stopped him doing it) -- and who ran a similar campaign against John Kerry.
Saragon wrote on January 17, 2008 10:48 AM:"[...]even making an homage in their South Carolina mailing."
That's not homage - that's one letter away from trademark infringement, and I suspect that was done very, very carefully. Kiley's explanation for that name is very, very thin; makes you wonder if the actual Swift Boat group will take these guys to court over it. (Remember that the purpose of trademarks is to clearly differentiate products, and enforcement is the responsibility of the trademark owner.)
Patriotsthink wrote on January 17, 2008 10:49 AM:McCain is nuttier than a pecan pie.
Mooser wrote on January 17, 2008 10:52 AM:The whole thing makes perfect sense to me! Any American who is so weak he succumbs to North Vietnamese torture is not strong enough to be President, no?
American dish out the torture, so they should be able to take it!
Good Lord, a horrible thought just occurred to me! What if McCain, remembering his session in the cage, goes all liberal and decides torture is not a nice tactic? Could the US survive that kind of lapse?
Paulie wrote on January 17, 2008 10:56 AM:If Reagan was an "old" president then McCain is pre-historic.
nrglaw wrote on January 17, 2008 11:04 AM:Just like old Ron, McCain is slowly losing his mind. It's sad but the truth is he belongs in a retirement home, not the white house.
Must be a slow day at TPM. The only story here, without regard to party, is that McCain learned the lesson taught by Kerry in 2004--don't wait for such ugly trash to get momentum.
It'll be a cold day in hell before I vote for McCain or any other Republican, but from the standpoint of pure politics, McCain did the wise thing by reacting quickly and strongly.
nrglaw
Dee Illuminati wrote on January 17, 2008 11:33 AM:I was in Columbia, SC from Jan, 1 2000 to Easter working for MSFT. I think that the voters remember the election and have a 'voters remorse' over the last 8 years, I expect McCain to take SC and knew that MI would be contrarian.
When I look at Delegate count, I think that McCain will pull ahead in FL and start a front-runner status with possibly southern fundamentalist split.
But I don't see MIT doing the bubba fundamentalist vote.
It is a fair bet that McCain wins SC and that the majority of the voters have seen McCain endure worse negative campaigning, and then in 8 years, be correct on some other issues, most notably for supporting the war in Iraq, opposition to Rumsfeld, opposition to torture, and support of the surge.
Additionally, McCain was supported by Lindsey Graham in 2000. I met both at the CNN debates in 2000 and actually was at the post debate party which was held in a tent on one of the coldest nights even by 'snowbird' standards.
I think that the Graham machine will prevail and that McCain has supporters in SC similar to NH from 2000 who will carry the day.
On the child slur, it was funny, the charge that it was an illegitimate black child was initially floated in 2000, and then 'changed' into a charge of using adoption to curry liberal votes! Even the mud-slingers backed off of that one, but it was a VERY NEGATIVE ROVE based campaign by Bush.
I also met Bush at Columbiana Centre. he just showed up and had his entourage in tow, and he walked up to me, basically stopped me in the mall, shook my hand, never looked at me, told me to vote for him, and then shoved me aside.
Now laughing, that is the truth!
I actually met all three and bet this year McCain has the Hilton reserved for the post election gala.
But I think SC GOP will look back and have some voters remorse, as 2000 was a brutal campaign, and when all was said and done, McCain's proven himself worthy of the vote.
Don wrote on January 17, 2008 11:54 AM:Why, McCain is a quick learner. Of the wrong lessons. Last week he told the NY Times, "The economy is the one issue I frankly don't understand very well. But I'm reading a book on it." (The book, of course, was written by Alan Greenspan...enough said). So, today, we get McCain's "anti-recession, economic stimulus package".....tax cuts for Business,nothing for individuals (not even the wealthiest 1%). Just what we need to fight a recession: more profits for corporations, more "gidgets" produced (perhaps), when no one has the money to buy any of them! Will the media take a critical look? Maybe, as we see from today's AP:
McCain proposes business tax cuts
By TOM RAUM, Associated Press Writer 20 minutes ago
AIKEN, S.C. - Republican presidential candidate John McCain proposed an economic stimulus plan Thursday that would lower the corporate income tax rate and provide a host of other tax breaks for business.
His plan would cut the corporate tax rate to 25 percent from 35 percent. McCain said that would expand the U.S. economy, creating jobs and opportunity.
"Now is the time to act to stimulate our economy," McCain said in prepared remarks. "I offer a genuinely conservative, pro-growth plan," which he contrasted with "the Democrats' tired ideas of tax and spend." He was outlining his ideas later in Columbia, S.C.
McCain appeared to be resisting temporary economic relief for individuals, even as President Bush indicated support for a short-term boost and Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke called explicitly for it. Bernanke urged the government to adopt a plan quickly and make it temporary, and said "putting money into the hands of households and firms" would be more effective than measures such as making Bush's tax cuts permanent."
cal1942 wrote on January 17, 2008 12:50 PM:" "McCain Takes the Fight To Negative Opponents" ... the Washington Post."
Echoing other comments; my God.
Why didn't the Post just run a McCain ad on the front page?
LewisJ wrote on January 17, 2008 12:58 PM:"But as near as we can tell the flyer or mailer actually isn't a flyer or mailer because it was never fly'd or mailed to anyone. The guy behind it just mailed it to a lot of newspaper editors."
Not mailed to anyone! Just mailed to newspaper editors! Wow, now the double talk is explicit.
Channeling Richard Nixon are we!
Steve wrote on January 17, 2008 1:19 PM:"I'm not a contradicting double talker."
OK, so when Romney got nasty anti-Mormon push-polling against him, the first conclusion was that he was doing it himself. The evidence of this was always scant, but it was a theory going around as soon as the news broke.
So I wonder if anyone will suggest that McCain pulled this stunt himself to test out the message? Certainly the story helps him; the accusation is so bizarre that one can't imagine even a right-wing nutjob finding it convincing.
I guess McCain, unlike Romney, is immune to that sort of accusation, even from the left. Which is precisely why I want Romney to win the nomination. Nobody in the media likes him, so it'll be a fair fight against him.
Seth H. wrote on January 17, 2008 2:11 PM:The question I've got on this situation is whether or not VV against JM will continue their attacks of him if he does become the nominee. If they don't, it seems they must've secretly favored someone else; if, on the other hand, they do... are they Democrats? I don't know if I could deal with that.
Court Jester wrote on January 17, 2008 4:32 PM:I'm enjoying the delicious irony of McCain's current position. The press has worked *so* hard over the last few years to portray McCain as a maverick, in spite of the reality of his voting record. They love the steady stream of sound bytes that McCain provides. Boy, he sure knows how to *sound* like a reasonable guy.
But now, he's a victim of the very image he (and the press) have worked so hard to (falsely) create - the bipartisan maverick.
To get elected now, he needs to prove that he's really the constipated conservative he's always been. But he can't. After years of fawning press coverage, everyone believes the image of him as St. McCain.
Fitting.
broadsword wrote on January 17, 2008 8:13 PM:So, you're saying the side of the bus says 'straight talk' but the license plate reads 'CANARD'?
creeksneakers2 wrote on January 17, 2008 8:39 PM:The latest attacks on McCain look like they are coming from the same bunch who attacked John Kerry in 2004. The attackers claim that POWs are still in Vietnam. They also claim US government has abandoned the POWs and covered it all up.
McCain and Kerry held hearings on the matter and debunked the POWs left behind hoax. The group who says the POWs are still there is eternally furious with both McCain and Kerry for that.
When they went after Kerry in 2004 the smear went around the right wingnet in a flash. The same men blaming McCain for the coverup now can spread this far with the net alone.
There may be more to come. Rush Limbaugh sort of jumped in today. Rush gave no details of the story, just talked about McCain and POWs and then told his listeners to check the Internet for more information. That's a safe way to promote something evil. Bigger people may be involved with this smear.
Here's some of what Rush said:
"Now, nobody talks about this much in the mainstream media, but there are a lot of prisoners of war who think McCain has a lot of explaining to do in not being fully interested in getting all the POWs out of Vietnam when we left. It's a long, convoluted story, and McCain dismisses it, says there's nothing to it, but others hold quite a grudge against Senator McCain for his apparent lack of interest, they say, in getting everybody, every prisoner of war missing in action accounted for and out of Vietnam, and that's where Perot comes in."
richard montgomery wrote on January 18, 2008 2:21 PM:Creeksneakers2 is typical of the astounding degree of ignorance most people display on the issue of POW's. If the Senate Committee did anything, it clearly DID NOT debunk the subject of left behind POW's and it clearly did NOT prove the issue was a hoax.
creeksneakers2 wrote on January 18, 2008 6:15 PM:The issue of McCain's behavior while in captivity CANNOT be evaluated by public, press or, anyone else. ALL POW debriefing
documents were classified at the insistence of Senator McCain. So, those who rush to support McCain are doing so out of a sense of loyalty rather than a position of knowledge. I include those former POW's who support McCain, in my evaluation. After all, it is NOT possible for any of those men to KNOW what McCain did or did not say when he was interrogated. In addition, information contained on the Vietnam Veterans against McCain web site.
Despite the media's long held position, that McCain is the military's guy, the fact remains that Senator McCain is despised by thousands of veterans who witnessed his despicable behavior while a member of the POW/MIA Committee. Readers of this post are encouraged to read Bill Hendon's AN ENORMOUS CRIME
before they rush to defend McCain.
The issue of POW/MIA's has been so twisted because of political fear, it is impossible to get an honest answer from either the government or the military. Unfortunately for those, like McCain and Kerry, there is
undeniable, historical evidence which pretty much establishes the willingness to "sacrifice the few" for the benefit of the country.
Towards the end of WWll, the Soviets overran hundreds of German POW/concentration camps, seizing HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS of allied POW's. These men were shipped to the gulag system...NEVER TO BE HEARD FROM AGAIN.
This is not a matter of conjecture. The US military and US intelligence services were well aware of what was happening and did nothing to stop it. I don't deny that the situation was very dangerous as the Soviets were willing to keep fighting. We (the US) were not.
In 1992, in open session of the Senate POW/MIA hearings, Col. Philip Corso admitted under oath that he was the man who advised Eisenhower to adopt the policy of declaring all the lost POW's dead (and we are talking about TENS OF THOUSANDS of AMERICAN SERVICEMEN). Col. Corso stated that the "country was 'war weary' and would not support a war against the Soviet Union in order to recover our men."
Col.Corso also testified on POW's lost and never returned by the North Koreans as well.
Many who believe the notion that ALL living POW's were returned during Operation Homecoming point to the fact that, after ALL THESE YEARS not a single POW has ever been released(or escaped) despite reward offers in the millions of dollars. Foolish people think that it would be impossible to hide POW's after Vietnam "opened up." A belief born of ignorance. If the Soviets could hide hundreds of thousands of POW's, preventing even a single escape, surely the vast jungles of South East Asia could hide a few hundred POW's
forever.
The FACT is, the United States has a long tradition of abandoning POW's. For the most part, the country couldn't care less. The population makes all the sympathetic noises, and greedily accepts the most unlikely and outrageously absurd explanations put forth by our leaders.
Reagan called it the "highest national priority" and did NOTHING. We've ALL DONE NOTHING and it makes me ant to puke.
If McCain is really such a genuine "Hero" let him release ALL his military records, including his debriefing
documents. In fact, all POW debriefing documents should be released, just as ALL government documents relating to the POW/MIA's. There's a reason why that's never going to happen and it has NOTHING to do with privacy. It has to do with deception, lies and dishonor.
The McCain/Kerry investigation wasn't the first on the POW hoax. The Pentagon investigated previously. Lower levels looked into it.
I don't understand how the hoax proponents can believe that so many who have dedicated their lives to the military and the country would allow US troops to be left behind in Vietnam for some vague political reason.
The POW myths are debunked on the web. But no matter how many times the entire POW issue is thoroughly investigated, the people who want to believe troops were left behind will keep calling every investigation that doesn't agree a cover up.
We are on cover ups of cover ups of cover ups now.